Family of Choice
by Constance Truggle
Summary: What makes a family? Obviously not shared DNA. A little advice from Buffy. Series of ficlets, some of which are alternate options for the same scene, some of which are connected and some of which are not.
1. Superman Doesn't Matter

**Disclaimer: Don't own Buffy or anything DC. **

**A/N: **So I finally got around to getting some new DVDs for my son. He's really into Robin right now, right? So we picked up some Young Justice. And the whole Superman treating Superboy like he does in the first few episodes just kinda pissed me off. I'm only up to the sixth episode in the first season, though. I do know that Superman reconciles his issues at some point in the future, but this popped into my head and wouldn't leave. Not that happy with it, but it is what it is.

This takes place during The Gift for Buffy, and within those first six or so episodes for YJ.

* * *

_**Family of Choice**_

The Justice League got the information too late. Young Justice was dispatched to see if they could help at all, with the JLA following right behind them. Superboy landed atop a rickety tower with his trademark slam landing, nearly destabilizing the whole construct. A blonde raced to the top where a brunette was tied. The blonde was too late to prevent the younger girl from being cut, and Superboy watched as the shorter one spoke with what was obviously family. He turned away in bitterness, watching Superman fly in and ignore him once again.

Buffy caught the young boy's expression and the barely concealed rage as he looked upon the man whose shield he wore. She didn't know that Superman had a son – it was news to her –, but she could recognize the emotions behind the teen's look. It was a look she'd worn many times since moving to Sunnydale. The Man of Steel was hovering near the portal, ignoring the young man who was so obviously related. She sighed and figured she could afford one more stop on her way off the edge; after all, that was a _dragon_ that just came through. It ought to keep the flying man busy for a minute. So she stopped next to the anguished man-child and rested a hand on his shoulder. He immediately shrugged it off.

"Look. I don't know you, and you don't know me. But a word of advice for you, okay? You don't need Superman." She didn't care that Superman could probably hear her. This boy was in enough pain that was apparently caused by the red and blue costumed man that she could care less if she caused him any.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Superboy said.

"I do, actually. I've got a dead-beat dad who couldn't bother to be there for me when I needed him most. So I found a new one. Family isn't always blood. Those people down there, at the bottom of this god-forsaken tower? We're not related at all. But they're my family. Find your own. Don't let someone who's got more time for strangers than for you rule _or_ ruin your life. You have a team, right? Let them be your family. Life is pretty short, you know? I'm at the end of mine, after all. Don't worry too much about his approval. You're good enough as you are. So go, find your family. Just do me one favor; that girl there is my sister. Make sure she stays safe."

Her piece said, Buffy made it to the end of the platform and took a dive into the crackling portal below. With her body crashing to the ground at the base of the tower, the portal closed and all the wee beasties stopped flooding the area. And Superboy helped the girl down, not once looking in the direction of the man whose DNA was used to create him. On the way down – he decided against rattling the bones of the already distressed girl – he found out that Buffy was Dawn's older sister. Dawn's blood had to be used to open the portal, and also to close it. He also learned that Dawn was made from Buffy – magically, unlike him, but they did have that in common – and so Buffy sacrificed herself so Dawn could live. Because that's what family did. Dawn said that any one of the people waiting down below for her would have done the same if they could. And Superboy realized something. He had a family. He had Robin and M'gann and Aqualad and Kid Flash and Red Tornado. He didn't need Superman.

_**Word Count: 619**_

_**9 May 2012**_


	2. Supermom?

**Disclaimer: Don't own Buffy or DC anything. **

**Rating: FR13/K+**

**A/N: **Yet another way for Buffy to show Superboy that family is what you make of it. Damn this track playing on repeat in my head. Still in the first half of Season One for YJ and Post-Chosen for Buffy.

* * *

_**Family Is What You Make Of It**_

The Sunnydale Hellmouth had been closed for three years now. The IWC was going strong. Buffy was still fighting the good fight, but she got scheduled nights off and had a life now. This was all of the good, in her opinion. She knew the good couldn't last forever, though. So it wasn't a huge surprise when she found out from Willow that her DNA had been found in a Metropolis lab. Apparently, she had been the human half of a DNA base for a clone. She also wasn't surprised that Willow had set up a meeting with the Justice League. She'd learn more there. Willow was going with her. She could take care of herself when it came to physical attacks (excepting, perhaps, those thrown by Superman), but she was nothing against magical ones. She was taking the Scythe, too. They'd had a harness made for it, and these people wouldn't think twice about coming armed, so neither was she.

* * *

Entering the Hall of Justice was slightly daunting, but Buffy and Willow bluffed their way through their awe with sheer bravado. It didn't hurt that Buffy's mind was on the fact that she had a clone. Sort of. Somewhat. Whatever. She'd get a better explanation inside. And there, waiting to escort them in, was Robin and Kid Flash.

"Hello there, ladies! I'm Kid Flash and this is Robin. Can I offer you an arm or two?" Kid Flash said, flirting outrageously with the two pretty ladies.

Willow and Buffy both rolled their eyes, even as they each took an offered arm. Robin walked on Buffy's other side, casting sidelong glances at her as they walked. This confirmed that introductions would have been unnecessary even if they had offered them. The League would have investigated them before allowing this meeting to take place. If Willow hadn't have found the DNA link, Buffy had no doubt they would have excluded her altogether. Her thoughts stuttered to a halt as they entered the meeting area, for seated around a massive table was Batman, Superman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, The Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Arrow and a younger group of costumed teens. She didn't really follow the superheroes much – working in the night against the 'sub-terrestrial' threat meant she never dealt with them – and the younger crew were mostly new to her. She could guess the green one was relative of the Martian Manhunter, and the one with the arrows was perhaps a protege or something of Green Arrow and the one that looked like Superman was possibly related to said hero, but that was as far as she was willing to speculate. Buffy and Willow took the empty seats that Robin pointed them too, almost directly across from Superman and his look-alike, separated by Batman's dark bulk. Robin once again was next to her, seated to her right with Willow and Kid Flash on her left. She cocked her head as she looked at Superman and Batman. They were giving off the knowledge and talky vibes to her. After a few moments of awkward silence, Buffy rolled her eyes and looked around.

"So, does anyone wanna tell me why my DNA was floating around and what it was used for?" she asked, portraying the vaguely vapid blonde idiot that had been so useful in the past. Willow gripped her hand under the table, the only outward expression that either of them were nervous.

"A company called Cadmus used your DNA to balance out the DNA of one of our own in order to create a viable clone. Due to an accelerated growth program, the clone is now sixteen years old. The DNA has read as parental. However, nothing is required of you, nor would we even have informed you if you hadn't come across the knowledge on your own."

Buffy blinked at Batman, who had answered her, then glanced to her left. "Wills?"

_'Basically, you've got a sixteen year old son. They don't expect or want you to want anything to do with him.' _Willow replied using their telepathic link.

J'onn, who had felt the energies used to speak thus, spoke to all the rest in the room. _'Interesting. They are speaking telepathically. I was unaware that any from their group had the ability. I cannot hear what is being said.'_

_'And the Martian just tried to break my shields.' _Willow conveyed.

At that, Buffy looked up and right at the green man. "Excuse me, but this is a private conversation. I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to eavesdrop again." With a nod at the redhead, she turned back to the apparent spokesman. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to get her emotions back under control. When she opened them, she couldn't help the glare she leveled on the bat-suited man.

"So what you're telling me is that I, however non-consentually done, technically have a son with Superman," she began, only to have to stop at the protestations that they never said that. "You didn't have to spell it out. Contrary to what I portray, I'm _not_ stupid. It always helps to be underestimated when going into an unknown situation, after all. Now, back to the matter at hand. Aside from the fact that he's the only teenager in here that actually looks almost exactly like someone else, there's the fact that Superman isn't comfortable with him and he clearly resents Superman and what the hell is your name? I can't call you kid or him the whole time. It's rude."

The teen in question spoke up. "I am called Superboy."

The blonde just shook her head, mentally bemoaning the lack of creativity. He clearly got that from his father. "Okay. So Superboy here looks just like Superman. There's resentment and hostility on both sides. Not to mention that, aside from Batman and Robin, every other apprentice or whatever you call them is sitting with their mentor. That means that either Superboy doesn't have a mentor, or Superman doesn't want to take on the responsibility of teaching him to master his powers and be, you know, responsible. Robin is only not with Batman because he was obviously instructed to sit with the guests to either put us at ease or to put you at ease. Batman is being the buffer between the two Superguys because it's obvious if you put them together, the testosterone would get out of control. Now, so I've got a son with Superman. He obviously doesn't want anything to do with Superboy, but you would rather _I_ didn't have anything to do with him, too. Sorry. Can't do that." Buffy got stopped again as a growl came from Batman and the rest all tensed. Except for Superboy. He was looking at her curiously. So she addressed her next comments to him.

"You're family. Doesn't matter how or why. All that matters is you _are_. I never expected to have kids, you know. A slayer's life expectancy is virtually nothing. And yeah, I missed the cute bouncing baby boy stage. I also missed the teething and the waking up at god-awful hours for nighttime feedings. So you were created in a lab. Whoop-de-doo. My sister will be overjoyed that she's not the only one who came into existence in an unusual way. But once you're family, I'm afraid you're stuck with us. Family is the most important thing in the world, after all."

Beside her, Willow was nodding enthusiastically while Buffy was getting varied looks of anger, shock, disbelief and, in the case of Superman, more hostility. Oh well. She could handle him being hostile if her son – her _son_! – was fine with her. But he was watching her with what looked like cautious hope. It just about broke her heart. He so obviously needed someone to be there for him and all these self-righteous so-called _heroes_ couldn't be bothered.

"So, Superboy. Wanna go talk?" At his nod, both stood up and retreated to a far wall to talk softly. She didn't care that Superman could hear her just fine with his super hearing. He didn't matter in the grand scheme of things if he wasn't going to stand up and be a man now.

_'Wills, do you mind placating the egos while we go bond?' _With a mental affirmation, Buffy turned her attention to getting to know her son.

* * *

_**Word Count: 1463**_

_**9 May 2012**_


	3. Support

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything Buffy or DC.**

**A/N: **This is for mackenziex, who left me a review that made me giggle. Pretty sure I hit all the points. It's silly and wouldn't fit anywhere if I continued into a real story, but it was a fun bit of side stuff.

* * *

Buffy cornered Superman. He allowed it, of course. The Justice League wanted to keep communication between them and the IWC amiable, after all. Their worlds rarely – if ever – crossed, but it was nice to have that option if necessary. Batman lurked close by, wondering what the little spit-fire might try.

"How can you leave someone like that alone? He needs support, not a cold shoulder!" Buffy raged, still flying on her anger high.

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Superman shot back.

"Oh, no! I was never a fifteen year old just coming into my own powers with no knowledge on how to use them or what they all even were! And it's not like I don't deal with powerful teenagers every day! Every one of them has needed support when they came to us. They didn't know where they fit in anymore and needed someone to be there for them. Now, I'm taking Superboy home with us, where he's going to find a mundane name along with his super one, and he's going to learn that he's not the only one with weird origins and he's going to learn about family support."

"He's going back to the cave when he leaves here, not with you!"

"No, he's coming with us. He's a teenaged boy! Do you really think he should be living alone with a teenaged girl?" Buffy asked incredulously. Then she slipped a smirk onto her face that would make Faith proud. "Besides, you should just be thankful I'm not asking you for child support!"

A twitch could be seen on even the Stoic One's face... err, Batman, that is. And he made Buffy go from angry to grinning by tossing out a nonchalant, "I'll pay it for him."

"Thanks, but no thanks."

* * *

_**Word Count: 307**_

_**10 May 2012**_


	4. Beginning

**Title:** Beginning  
**Author: ****Constance Truggle**  
**Fandom: ****Buffy/Young Justice**  
**Rating:** FR13

**Pairing: **None  
**Summary********: ****Another take on how things could have gone if Buffy found out she was Superboy's DNA donor, and if she flipped her lid before rational thought asserted itself. **  
**Disclaimer:** People other than me own anything recognizable.  
**Word Count:** 1698

**Author's Note: **This will likely join my _Family of Choice_ series.

* * *

Buffy was shocked at herself. She'd totally gone off on _Superman_! Right in front of everyone, too! She was rather ashamed of herself, too. She knew by now not to let her emotions take over, yet she did it anyway. Red faced and filled with a self-directed anger, Buffy excused herself from everyone. She vaguely heard Willow offering the excuse that she'd be more rational once she'd calmed down, but she didn't stay to listen in. She _really_ needed to get herself back under control. She couldn't imagine any other reason she would call Superman a hostile, conceited asshat. Later, when she thought back on that moment, she might find the various shocked reactions amusing.

Wonder Woman caught her as she was heading to the ladies room. Who knew the Amazon Princess peed? And wow, Buffy suddenly realized she was feeling a little punch-drunk after the day's revelations.

"It's not hostility," Wonder Woman told her quietly.

Huh, Buffy thought. Apparently she _didn't_ pee.

"What's not?" the blonde asked.

"Superman. It's uncertainty he feels, not hostility. He is unsure what to do or how to act."

"Well, he's hurting the boy's feelings. And man does he need a real name. Either way, it's not Superman's feelings I'm worried about. I admit, I was a bit harsh on him. But I'm not even psychic and I could feel the waves of pain radiating from Superboy. He doesn't need distance from the only person he knew that could help him figure out his powers and – more importantly – where he fits into the grand scheme of things. Trust me on this one; I've been there."

"Please explain."

"Well, look at you for example. You've known your whole life who you were and what you could do, right? I didn't know until I was fifteen. Then I was called as the Slayer and everything changed. And maybe I feel more kindred with Superboy because of that. I looked to my parents for help; I turned to them and told them and they locked me away in an institution until I told them vampires weren't real. So my watcher became my father, and my friends became family as they helped me adjust. Then, two years later when my mother had the reality of the supernatural thrust in her face, she told me not to come back if I left to save the world." Buffy huffed a sort-of laugh here, and if it sounded closer to a sob neither one mentioned it. "The point is, he needs support and encouragement and he's not feeling it from that man out there. All he has to do is tell Superboy that he doesn't know what to do or that they'd figure things out or just let him ask questions. But instead, that teenager with his hormones already out of whack is feeling rejected and unwanted. And it's really as simple as I want him. I can't give him everything he needs, I know that. I don't have powers like him. Yeah, I'm faster and stronger and heal quicker than the average person. But he's _super_ powered, you know? Only you guys can help with that. All I can do is be there for whenever he needs me. And I intend to be. And he's got an aunt that's got an origin story even weirder than his that might make him feel more normal. So you guys teach him how to be super, and we'll teach him how to be family."

"It's not that I don't understand your point, Miss Summers. I do. Family is very important to me, too. I only believe that Superman is merely coming to terms with having a child born to him, and in such an unconventional way. Superman is a good man. Things will work out, you will see."

"I've only ever heard good stories about him, you know? This threw me for a loop, honestly. I mean, in our world, we hear the good and the ugly about you guys. Mostly, the ugly is what the rest of the world calls good but the bad guys don't like, but I've never heard anything even in the not-so-pretty about him. So I was shocked by his attitude and I know I over reacted a bit. I guess I should apologize for that, at least. I know Superboy wants to come visit soon, if you guys will let him. He didn't say that last part outright, but none of us wants to cause problems between him and the rest of you, so we're gonna have to work together on that, I think."

As the two women left the bathroom, Buffy made her way over to Superman's area. When he finally looked at her, she softly asked him if they could talk for a moment. He agreed. As they wandered away from the rest of the people, she saw Willow talking to Superboy and Robin. If she strained that slayer hearing she got, she could catch a few words that led her to believe they were talking computers. Well, Willow and Robin were, at least. Superboy looked rather bored by it all.

When they finally stopped, she turned and realized just how tall Superman really was; especially compared to her. He was at least a good foot taller. He just looked impassively back at her, waiting for her to speak.

"Look, I'm sorry. I went overboard there. He just was in so much pain that it really pissed me off. I've lost enough of my family to never take any for granted, and I was sad that it seemed like you did." She held up a hand when it looked like he might protest. "My sister was inserted into our lives when she was fourteen. When we eventually found out, it didn't matter. By then, she was just my sister. And I'm not saying any of this right. What I mean is that I'm used to having weird family occurrences, so this is probably a lot easier for me to deal with than for you. Because when we found out that Dawnie wasn't really my sister, I was shocked and didn't know what to do. And I'm sure you were too, when you found out about the experiment. But please, try to understand. Maybe I see it easier because I deal with teenagers all day every day, but he's lost and needs your guidance. Not even because you're family, but because only you can help him figure out his powers. I know a guy who's mom was a slayer. Nothing in her gifts passed on to him, so we're reasonably sure that the mystical element doesn't pass to any children. So I can't help him with his gifts. I'll gladly be there for him, but you're gonna have to teach him."

Had she not been watching intently, she would have missed where he looked relieved for a moment. Just about where she started babbling about Dawnie and not knowing what to do. Maybe he really was the good guy she'd always heard about. And maybe, alien or not, he really was just human. And wasn't that a thought? The hero was allowed to make mistakes and be uncertain. Huh. Then again, she knew all too well how easy it was to fall off that wobbly pedestal. She'd had her own, once upon a time. She was even more ashamed at her actions now, when she looked at it in that light. Damn.

"Well, Superboy knows how to reach me when he wants to. I think Willow and I better leave before I make things worse for him. It was good to meet you, even if I was a bitch the whole time." She turned from the blue clad superhero and back to her friend. "Wills, time to go. Superboy, call me anytime, okay? Unless I'm in the middle of an apocalypse, I'll always have time for you."

In a flash, Willow had them transported out of the Hall of Justice and back to their castle in Scotland. Buffy just hoped she hadn't made the teenager's life worse.

* * *

It had been nearly three weeks before Buffy heard from her son, and she was in battle when he _did_ call. He'd called from the cave, but since Superman wasn't amenable to not being there, he had the call on speakerphone.

"_Yeah?"_ came through the phone, the fainter sounds of fighting also heard.

"Buffy? It's.. umm.. Superboy."

"_Oh, hey! How are you?"_ came the perky voice, then they heard:

_"Buffy! Watch out!" _A male voice.

"_Oof! Shit!" _

"_You alright, B?" _A whiskey-rough female voice, followed by a _clang!_ of metal on metal.

"_Fine! Just a scratch!" _

"_I saw the sword come out the other side!" _The male again.

"_I'm good! Just-" _grunt_ "-kill the stupid things already!" _

"_Hey, Red! How much longer on the mojo?" _The not-Buffy female.

"_About five minutes if you can keep them off me!" _A new female.

"_Buffy, if you don't get off the phone, there may not be anything left of you to talk to! And for God's sake don't let the slime get in your wounds!" _A British male.

"_Do you think it'll come out in the wash?" _Buffy again.

And, finally, _"Hey. Can I call you back? Or you can call me in like, ten minutes or so? Should be-" _smack! _"-and stay dead! Sorry. Should be done here soon."_

"Umm... sure?"

"_Thanks! Talk to you soon!"_

The line went dead to the sound of more hollering about demon positions and slime getting everywhere.

Conner Kent looked up at his father, slightly wide eyed but otherwise showing no reaction. He'd call later and arrange to visit. Kid Flash, however, stared with jaw agape.

"Why the hell did she answer the phone if she was fighting?"

"I'm more interested in her getting impaled, myself," Artemis pitched in. "Sounds like she was having a good time, after all."

Robin laughed. He thought so too, after all.


	5. Scintillating Conversation

**Title:** Scintillating Conversation

**Author:** Constance Truggle

**Fandom:** Buffy/Batman (Young Justice/Justice League Honorable Mention?)

**Rating:** FR7

**Pairing:** Pre-Buffy/Bruce perhaps.

**Summary:** Andrew gives Buffy some information which leads to a minor confrontation.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything Buffy or Batman.

**Word Count:** 2683

**Author's Note:** Well. This didn't turn out quite like I thought it would. However, it will go with my _Family of Choice_ series as it fits in there quite well.

_A special thanks to hellbells for reading what I had done of this and correcting the crap that was there. I hope this feeds your addiction!_

* * *

He rushed into the library, where Buffy was surprisingly sitting – or not so, considering her history with them, – bits of blond hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. He slapped his palms down on the table in front of her in a bid for theatrical dramatics, then pulled his stinging palms to his chest with a hiss.

"Ouch!" Andrew whined, momentarily forgetting his task.

"Was there a reason you were smacking the table around?" Buffy asked, an amused cant to her lips.

Suddenly recalling why he was there, Andrew grinned. "Yes! I know who he is!"

Buffy blinked at him. "Umm.. good for you?"

The blond man sighed. "Batman. I know who the Batman is!" His voice regained its excited squeal and Buffy very nearly covered her ears in pain. But she needed them to hear his announcement, right?

"Who? And you better have proof this time! I don't want to hear another 'Superman is Clark Kent!' story from you!"

"But he _is_! I'm serious!" And out came the whiny voice. Dammit. Why did she always have to encourage his feminine side?

"But that's not the point! Batman is _Bruce Wayne_!"

Buffy's eyes narrowed dangerously. If he could prove it, and she had a feeling he might be able to, then somebody was getting their ass kicked. Hard. She had – very recently, in fact – received a notice that the Wayne Foundation would be donating quarterly to their girls' school; based, of course, on quarterly reports made to the Foundation. She knew that the ICW wasn't well known. At least, not the schooling aspect of it. But after his comment to her about paying child support for Superman, she was a bit more inclined to believe Andrew's assertion.

"Prove it," she said, her voice dangerously low. It was a pitch that vampires and demons had long since learned to fear.

"Okay. Umm. We'll start with the obvious connections, okay?" At her nod, the nervous man continued. "So there's Gotham, right? Then there's Bruce Wayne's parents. They were murdered, and then he up and disappeared for years. Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham and shortly after that, the Batman appears. Whenever Batman is needed, Bruce Wayne is nowhere to be found. Bruce Wayne was having a party that was attacked, he disappears and suddenly the Batman is there, thwarting the criminal mastermind. There are numerous accounts like that. It's all here in this report." He flourished said report, complete with embossed cover page. Buffy stared at it, momentarily lost in the thought of someone actually _embossing_ a cover page. She shook it off and looked up at him.

"You're going to feel really stupid if you're wrong, you know. And you'll hurt. A lot. Because if you make me look stupid when I talk to him, I'm going to _make_ you hurt. A _lot_."

* * *

Just over two months later, Buffy had set up a meeting with the Batman in Gotham City. She was hoping for a more neutral – or even slayer friendly – place, but she took what she could get. After finding out Superboy was her son, she'd made a quip about not makind Superman pay child support and Batman had countered that he'd pay it for him. At the time, she'd thought the darker hero was funny; now, she wasn't so sure. She was kind of pissed at him, actually. Andrew's report had been very thorough. Bruce Wayne was, indeed, Batman. It boggled the mind at first, of course. But then she really thought about it. Bruce Wayne was a billionaire, true. But he was a billionaire with a grudge, and a man with the will to do what was necessary to get vengeance on that grudge. If he decided to come down on _all _criminals, well then, that just made things better for any innocents living in Gotham.

She looked around the room Willow had booked for her. It was a decent enough space; not up to Bruce Wayne's standards, she was sure, but it was better than what she could afford before the Council funds had been accessed. At least it had a separate sitting area, so she didn't have to have the costumed man in her bedroom.

He wouldn't arrive before nightfall, she knew, and there really was no place else to meet without him knowing that she knew his secret. She had the added benefit of an actual reason to be in Gotham, so there was no connection between Buffy Summers and Batman. Not unless they were seen together, at least. It was a small point, perhaps, but it protected her girls, so it was a point that mattered. She was to present the first quarterly report to Bruce Wayne in the morning. She'd considered putting the meeting with Batman off until after that, or simply letting the man know while he was in his billionaire playboy guise, but she wanted that bit out of the way with right away. Damn her impulsiveness.

So now, here she was, hanging out in a Gotham hotel room with nothing to do. She didn't know the city and she didn't know anybody personally, so she was sitting here. Utterly bored. She had called Willow to let her know she made it safely. She texted Dawn the same thing, since Dawnie was in class. She thought Superboy might be in school, as well, so she didn't call him. She did text him and ask if he could ask Robin if he knew where a girl could have some fun in Gotham. His reply to that made her laugh. So she was his mother. Technically. Didn't mean she didn't like to go out and have fun! But he came through for her as roughly five minutes later, she received a text from a blocked number with a few places she might enjoy, signed Robin. She sighed as she looked the names of the places up on her laptop. Museums were _so_ not her thing, but the coffee shop was... so was the ice skating rink. How did he know that? Stupid detectives.

* * *

Buffy was on the ice, simply enjoying the smooth slide as she went around the rink. Spins and the like were occasionally done, but nothing pleased her more in that moment than the mindless serenity skating brought her. She'd already been there nearly two hours when she finally felt ready to go for that coffee. She hadn't realized how stressed she was until she let it all go; skating was still her outlet for stress, it appeared. She decided then and there that she would find the nearest ice rink to her in Scotland so she could go every week or two, at the least. With grace of a veteran skater – not to mention Slayer – she made her way back to the bench she'd left her shoes at, muttering to herself how she'd have to have her son thank Robin for this. She was in the middle of removing her first skate when the man settled onto the bench next to her. She didn't jump, but it was a near thing.

"You know, that's a great way to get a toepick to the face," she commented idly without looking up.

"I'll keep that in mind," was the mild reply. She finally looked up and saw it wasn't a man at all, but a teenager. She didn't know him, but he was a cutie. Dark hair, brilliant blue eyes and a lean build... he'd be hot if he was older. She mentally groaned, hoping he wasn't there to hit on her. She really didn't want her good mood to go downhill because she had to let some boy down gently. She really wasn't good at that.

"You do that." The blonde figured that was the end of the conversation and removed her other skate. She was startled when a hand came into view.

"Dick Grayson. You were good out there."

She took his hand, looking at him with a warily confused expression. "Buffy Summers. And thanks? I wasn't really doing anything..." she trailed off.

"You're fluid and you looked like you belong on the ice," was the explanation. "You didn't have to do the fancy triple toe loops or whatever. What you _did_ do was enough to show that you _could_ do the other stuff."

Buffy blinked. "Oh. Umm.. thanks, then. Look, I've gotta go. It was nice meeting you, Dick."

"You too, Buffy. Maybe I'll see you around sometime."

Shit, she thought. He really _was_ hitting on her. "Probably not. I'm only in town for a couple of days. So, bye!"

She didn't run. Really. She couldn't help it if the coffee was calling her name and so she had to walk fast. Not at all.

* * *

Batman was waiting for her when she got into her room roughly forty five minutes later, coffee cup still steaming in her hand. She didn't really want to deal with him after such a pleasant day, but that _was_ what she had come to Gotham for, after all. She could have emailed the reports instead. So she set her coffee down on the table, dropped her purse in the chair, toed off her shoes and curled up on the edge of the couch, coffee (and table) within easy reach. Finally, she looked up at the Dark Knight of Gotham.

"You're early."

"You're late, actually," came the rejoinder.

Buffy blinked and looked at her watch, her eyes widening a little. She hadn't meant to be gone so long, though that explained why she was so hungry. "So I am," she said in a thoughtful tone. "Huh."

Batman's non-reaction to her nonchalance over her lack of punctuality was expected. The slight twitch of his lips was not.

"I've heard you'd be late to your own funeral," he said with poorly hidden mirth. One might think the man found her funny. Well, time to burst that bubble.

"Don't worry. I wasn't."

Well. He most definitely was _not_ expecting that. Nor was she expecting the _very_ slight chuckle she heard after a moment.

"Witty. Let's get down to business," he said, leaning more fully against the wall he'd been propping up when she came in. "You wanted to talk to me?"

She scowled, remembering her ire at him. "I was wondering about a donation we received from the Wayne Foundation. You know, the one set up by your parents?" Her honeyed tones did not disguise the danger that was suddenly apparent. He pushed off the wall and stared at her.

"I don't know what you mean."

The slayer rolled her eyes, having expected that answer. She got up with a molten grace that was both sexy and menacing to the man. She left the room for a moment, returning with a well-thumbed set of documents. It was handed to the superhero with a sardonic twist to her lips as she retook her seat.

"Here. Some light reading."

Batman looked down and it and blinked. "_How I Know Batman is Bruce Wayne_, by Andrew Wells," he read aloud. So it was a report. Who the hell embossed the cover page of a report?! A quick read through of the first ten pages had him groaning.

"Is he always so verbose?" he asked. Buffy gave him a bright peal of laughter. Verbose was a word Giles used _a lot_ around them.

"_Always_," she replied. "It's really very annoying."

He snapped the report shut with a sigh but held onto it. It was something he was taking back to the Cave. Perhaps he could eradicate some of those clues so others didn't figure it out. "What are you getting at, Buffy?" he growled.

"Huh?" Buffy asked, before realization set in. "Oh. Oh! No, you don't have to worry. Andrew's been spelled to secrecy about it already, so he's not a problem. I'm the only other one who knows everything in there," she nodded to the report held tightly in his hand, "and I do know the necessity of a secret identity. It's not so important for me, since the nightlife already knows who I am and who my loved ones are. Not something I can hide, really, when it's practically hardwired into them to find me and try to kill me. But I get why you wear the mask. What I want to know is this: Did you intend for this donation to be a 'child support payment' for Superboy or do you really give a shit about my girls?"

Batman blinked at her now. "Child support?" he asked.

Buffy groaned. Screw Andrew, she though. I made myself look stupid. "Yeah. When we met at the Hall of Justice and I was talking to Superman and told him to be happy I wasn't gonna ask for child support, you said you'd pay it." She sighed here. Obviously, the man had forgotten. She would have too, except... "I don't think I would have remembered, either, except the notice of the donation came not too long after, then Andrew comes running in and fanboy squealing about how he knows who you are and I told him he'd better have proof this time after that whole thing about who Superman is and it's not like it matters really if you really care or not since the money is definitely helpful in training the girls because Giles _still_ can't get into all the Council's accounts and you should really just tell me to shut up when I start babbling," she finished, face red and tucked into her knees, voice muffled at the very end.

"Why would I stop it when it's so amusing?" he asked, mind already working on the problems she handed him. "So you know who Superman is, then?" he asked, figuring that just asking her straight out might get him a straight answer.

"No," she drew out, looking up at him like he was crazy. "It's why he had to give me that report. He swears Superman is some reporter named Clark, but we all know he's delusional."

Batman heaved an inward sigh of relief. So this Andrew knew who Clark really was, but nobody believed him. This was good. Maybe he'd get Supes to go over to Scotland and have a chat with the man about how secret identities are secret for a _reason_.

"Buffy, I really didn't remember saying that. I did some research after meeting you and found out your company was struggling financially to take care of so many super powered girls. I found out how much you spend a week on groceries alone and knew you needed help. That's all."

The Original Slayer looked up at the Caped Crusader with a blinding smile. "Thank you, then. It really does help," she said.

She really was a very pretty woman, the Bruce part of his mind acknowledged. However, "I'd thank you to not tell anyone else."

"Of course not! I only cared because I wasn't sure if you were... I dunno. Trying to buy me off, maybe? It sounded so much better when I was angry, to be honest."

Batman gave another brief chuckle at that.

"Look, I'm sorry for wasting your time tonight, but I just needed to know. So thanks for coming, and I know you're busy fighting crime so I'm just gonna go patrol your cemeteries for a while. I'll see you tomorrow morning for our meeting."

"Of course. If you'd like, I can give you a ride to your first stop?" he offered. Buffy beamed at him and accepted, asking him to wait while she changed in to slayworthy clothes. When she came out in a red tank and black leather pants, though, Bruce Wayne about swallowed his tongue. Very pretty didn't quite cover it anymore.


	6. Comparison

**Title:** Comparison

**Author:** Constance Truggle

**Fandom:** Buffy/Young Justice

**Rating:** FR7

**Pairing:** None.

**Summary:** Conner finally comes to visit his mother.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Buffy or DC.

**Word Count:** 320

**Author's Note:** Got to my destination today, but didn't have time to actually get any writing done, so this is short, too. Sorry about that. But I'm satisfied with it. ^.^

* * *

"I was cloned."

"So? I was magically created from my sister."

"I was put through a rapid acceleration program."

"You think your guys watched _Star Wars_? Sounds like you went through the Stormtrooper program to me."

"What?"

"Nevermind. I was born a fourteen year old."

"I'm part alien."

"I started out as a glowy green ball of energy."

"I'm super strong."

"I can open dimensional portals. With my _blood_."

"I was programmed to destroy things."

"Lame. I'm telling you, Conner. _My_ origin story is _so_ much cooler than yours."

Buffy shook her head and walked away from the door she'd been eavesdropping at. When she found out about Conner and how he was cloned from her and Superman, she knew introducing Conner to Dawn would make things feel more normal for him, but she didn't think they'd get into the one upmanship game they were currently engaged in. It was ridiculous to her, but to each his own, she figured.

She wandered the castle grounds for a bit while Dawn entertained her nephew. She thought about Batman, and how he really was a nice guy. A bit of a brooder, of course, but she couldn't help it if she had a type.

Robin had come along, too, to keep Conner happy if things didn't work out so well. If she wasn't mistaken, the Boy Wonder was holed up in the room with them. She wouldn't be surprised if he was laughing his ass off at them, too. She nearly did, which so wouldn't be good since she knew Conner, at the least, knew she had been there. Damned senses. But now she found herself at loose ends, so continued her aimless meanderings.

Eventually, the dark shape of the man who brought Conner to visit loomed in front of her. She smiled up at him.

"So, wanna spar?"


End file.
